Carlos Sainz believes that F1 is doing its best to sell something that we all know is not correct, highlighting an apparent manipulation of graphics on the international feed.
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The new Formula 1 regulations have received mixed reactions from drivers and fans, with voices like those of Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris being heard more loudly than others.
The main criticism concerns the engines, which start to lose power on certain sections of the circuits when the battery has been fully used, which is now dubbed “superclipping”.
Misleading graphics?
During the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, screenshots reportedly showed that the production was deliberately manipulating onboard graphics, apparently to hide speed drops. This follows negative comments on a post from the official F1 account regarding overtakes that were allegedly deleted by the administrator.
Sainz notes that this proves that F1 knows it’s not the right formula: “I think on a circuit like Shanghai, it’s not that bad, because we have a lot of energy and a high recovery yield, which makes the engines behave very differently from last year, but not as much as in Melbourne. “
“On tracks like Melbourne, Monza or Spa, there is definitely a need to rethink certain things, he believes. Development will also play its part. But I am 100% sure that this is not the F1 I want to see. I am quite convinced that the people at the top see it too and know it.”
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“When you look at what they are doing with the graphics and everything else, they are doing their best to sell something that I think is not the right approach for Formula 1, asserts Sainz. So, I really hope there will be changes soon, because it’s not the best formula. But as long as everyone is aware of the situation, I think it’s acceptable not to get everything perfectly right at the start of a regulation, and then make adjustments to improve things.”
Not a good image for F1
Sainz, who finished ninth in China, also criticized the fact that the two McLaren, his teammate at Williams Alex Albon and the Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto were unable to start due to technical problems. He believes it is up to the teams to improve their reliability, but considers it difficult when the power unit regulations are so complex.
“Of course, it’s not a good image for F1, he insisted. The fact of not having two McLarens, a Williams and an Audi shows how much we are complicating our lives with super complicated engines and incredibly complex software and batteries. It is always up to the manufacturers to provide a reliable engine, but when the rules are so demanding and restrictive, it is difficult to design something reliable from the start, because it’s extremely difficult for everyone.”
“I have in mind what the ideal Formula 1 should be, and we are very far from it, he concludes. At the same time, I hope that development and fine-tuning of the regulations will allow things to improve in the near future.”
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